Workaday Design

The home's courtyard design allows for views to nature from every room.

The common area was opened to create large, interconnected spaces.

The mid-section of the siding was done in a shou-sugi ban method. Custom brass was used for the awning, alongside a standing-seam metal roof.

HUTCH Design used organic materials and earthy tones to transform this former concrete pig shed outside of London.

Warwas offset the rear of the ADU to accommodate the power lines running behind the house, and he designed a window in the office/guest room upstairs that meets the roof in the same way that the window off the dining area/kitchen meets the ground.

The outdoor dining area is connected to the new kitchen through a fine frame double glazed sliding door by Sieger Systems. This was one of the more expensive features of the renovation—the doors and triple-glazed windows throughout cost just over $27K in total—but was essential to achieve the connection the client was looking for. The slatted screen was another important feature. “It creates a backdrop for the dining area that makes the terrace feel more like an outdoor room that is separate from the rest of the garden,” explains architect Julia Hamson.

The plinth for the ladder to the sleeping loft in the primary bedroom building doubles as a bench for putting on shoes. Storage along the wall becomes a desk and a window seat nestles into an intimate corner.

Suzanne and Brooks Kelley at the back of their 1,100-square-foot guest cottage.

The table and chairs are pieces that the client had from before. A HAT pendant light from Luke Mills hangs over the table. The dining nook is lined with custom storage created by Carter Williamson that includes a curved cutaway to echo the round table and allow for comfortable movement. The backsplash and the countertop are both cut from elegant Cararra marble slabs.

The kitchen island was handcrafted with 30-millimeter Tasmanian Oak half-round dowels. "The [curved form] became a real feature of the house which was mimicked in details such as the timber island and doorway threshold," explains Peake. The countertop is Carrara marble from Avant Stone.

The homeowners can now perch on a wraparound bench and look out to the backyard. The pendant lights in the corner are from Pop and Scott.

The expanded kitchen has a large central island, with room for prep, seating, storage, and cooking. The cabinetry is a mix of wood, Shinnoki Milk Oak, and white fronts, Fenix NTM Bianco Kos. The terrazzo counters are by Concrete Collaborative. There are two types of tiles: the Mutina Rombini fluted tile on the island and Cepac Krave Sugar Tiles on the backsplash. “It looks very mid-century modern,” says Blaine of the backsplash tile. “But in this application, it also adds that little touch of depth that I think is really important to making the house feel interesting.” The counter stools are from Hay.

aesarstone counters in the kitchen, which best highlights the homes mix of light and wood. White conversion varnish was used on the sink side of the island for durability, with wood on the side of entertainment.

The ground floor is split between Gloria’s bedroom and the kitchen and living area, with a bathroom at the center.

In the dining room, an Andover custom table by Room and Board and Globus Chairs from Design Within Reach continue the neutral color palette. The white, monochromatic kitchen has quartz countertops by Prestige and Phoenix Ivory Counter Stools from CB2.

The exterior features Western red cedar siding and a standing-seam metal roof. The home is engineered to meet Passive House standards, with Makrowin Passive House Certified windows and blown mineral wool and cellulose insulation.

Sheffield Residence by Of Possible

More Japanese minka than Sears Roebuck, this kit home in the Bay Area—complete with a meditation room—provided the right bones for a renovation.

In the master bath, Hale chose slate tile for the floors and green-and-brown glass tile by Lunada Bay for the walls, both from United Tile. The Japanese Ofuro soaking tub, crafted from Hinoki wood, is by Zen Bathworks.

Monika and Darren Bennett worked with SM Studio on their custom home in Vancouver, B.C. The main house has 2703 square feet, plus a 514 square foot garage/studio on the rear alley, with a courtyard and pool in between the two buildings.

Clerestory glazing across the top of the walls to the DJ booth creates visual connection throughout the entire extension and allows light into the snug area. It also allows an appreciation of the entire roof structure, which has timber soffits that define the character of the space.

Vertical white cedar cladding will weather beautifully over time.

Nestled amongst native Araucaria trees, the cabin and its three elevated decks were carefully sited so as not to disturb any existing trees, which are protected by Chilean law. "This area is the only place on the planet where the Araucaria pine grows,